Tricholma magnivelare

Matsutake MushroomAlso known as Pine mushroom. This mushroom,very popular with the Japanese, has a distinct spicy fragrance. It is popular in stir-fry’s and soups. Breading and frying this mushroom makes a good appetizer. Some say you can use a lot of flavor frying this mushroom and suggest grilling. Slice up the caps and stalks, lightly salt them and grill both sides until lightly browned. This mushroom can be slightly chewy but the flavor is grand.

The Matsutake Mushroom can be found on the ground, under and above. When you find one be careful to look around for raised ground sometimes with a small amount of white showing. They like to hide. The cap is white to slightly yellowish and has a strong spicy-fragrance around the gills. The gills are white and typically dip in where they join the stalk. This mushroom has a veil that, when young covers the gills, and opens with age forming a prominent ring on the stalk. The stalk is not bulbous. The Matsutake Mushrooms like sandy soil found under pine, fir and hemlock. It is commonly found from British Columbia to Central California. It is usually exported to Japan and is said to bring good fortune to the marriage if ate at the wedding ceremonies.